Learning to Live Again
by Nerd.princess123
Summary: Reyna Avila Ramirez Arellano. War has broken her, torn her to pieces. But she is trying to fix herself. Maybe even make new friends along the way. "Are you sure you want to quit Reyna?" He asked. I nodded with a sense of finality. "I want you to elect another Praetor. And please not, Octavian." I still did not trust him, even though he is proving to be trust worthy.


**AN: So while I waited for the lovely ThePraetorLady to finish correcting the third chapter of High School and Celebrities don't mix, I decided to write a new story. Mostly, Reyna centric. After the Giant War. **

**_CHAPTER 1_**

I stood at the top of the hill. The war was over. They won. The demigods won. I wasn't sure if I won or not. I knew I was breaking ever since the day Jason Grace went missing. I didn't know whether or not if my breaking process was complete.

I could see my former colleague – ex best friend, whichever – helping up the child of Aphrodite, the one who can charm-speak. Jason's girlfriend. Even though I disliked Piper McLean, but she did a brilliant job, she charm-spoke several monsters into killing themselves.

I saw my friend Gwen fall today morning. I wanted to stop fighting thousands of hellhounds and help Gwen. But a Roman soldier looks after themselves. I don't understand what kind of a rule that is, given the fact that Romans are supposed to work as a team.

But I did see Gwen's ghost when the son of Pluto, um, Hades – Nico Di Angelo – summoned dead legions. Gwen looked kind of sad. She was forced out of her retirement to fight in a war that wasn't meant for her. It was my fault. I shouldn't have asked her to get out retirement and help me. Not me, but the demigods. But I needed her too.

I hate them.

I hate ghosts too.

Hundreds of demigods were lying on the ground. It didn't matter if they were Roman or Greek, I thought solemnly. They are all dead anyway.

Maybe they are the ones who truly won. Not us. Not Gaia. But the ones who got to live a peaceful afterlife. They should all get Isles of Blest. They're all heroes. But right now, it didn't look like it. The fallen demigods were mixed with gold dusts and ichor and their own blood.

I wanted to scream, thrash to break something. To have to fight something. But all our enemies are dead, Gaia is asleep.

I was standing there, glaring at everyone who came near me. Most of them were scared and went away, including Jason. But I don't think it included Percy and Annabeth because both of them came jogging up to me.

I respected both of them. They went through Tartarus for Pluto's sake.

Percy looked horrible. He was wearing a tattered orange t-shirt, like the one he was wearing when he entered CampJupiter. He had seaweeds on his arms and hair. His right hand was holding his sword – Anaklusmos in Greek – tight and his left hand was clasped with Annabeth's.

Annabeth's blonde hair was matted with blood and dirt. It was tied in a ponytail. Her gray eyes were inspecting me even from far away. She, too, was wearing a faded orange shirt. She was wet, courtesy of Jackson I bet.

"Hey Reyna," Percy gasped for air.

"Percy," I acknowledged him with a nod. "Annabeth." I offered the blonde a grim smile which she returned.

The gods and goddesses were roaming around, mixed in their Roman and Greek forms, which sucked. Some were helping their own children and some were not – including Jupiter. He was standing there like the _mighty _king he is.

"A lot of your legion has…" Annabeth faltered away.

"Died," I glared at the ground. "Yes, I know."

"We came to tell Praetor Frank Zhang is injured." Annabeth started. "You need to assemble your legion."

"Apparently Hera wants to gift us for our courage and sacrifice." Percy said with a hint of distaste in his mouth.

"We should get running." Percy finished sending me a nervous look before running. How injured is Zhang anyway? Shouldn't he be able to order his legion?

But before I could walk down Hazel Levesque came up to me. "Reyna," She said.

I interrupted her. "Praetor Zhang is injured. You can go."

She spared me a glance as she went down the hill. I looked at my soldiers before I too went down the hill. But before I could do much of anything a guy with blonde hair came up to me.

"You're injured." He said.

"No I'm not." I insisted. "I need to go."

"You're not going anywhere until I say so." The guy said with a kind of authority. He doesn't know me.

"I'm the Praetor—" He stopped me.

"Right now, you're injured. And you need to be healed."

"Great." I muttered.

"I get that a lot." He grinned. "I'm Will Solace." He started opening the makeshift bandage on my left arm.

Bellona – my mother – came up to me. I didn't want to talk with her. I had no idea where Hylla was or my dogs. I needed to search them first before my mother. "Reyna." She came up to me.

"Mother." I said with a hint of unpleasant.

"Lady Bellona, I would've greeted you. But I'm healing your daughter. Her arm will need immediate care." Will Solace informed my mother and she nodded.

"Reyna, you did a great job."

"Thanks mother."

"Hylla is okay." She said, like she knew I wanted to look for her.

"Where is she?" I asked wincing as some nectar hit my arm. Will Solace was wrapped up in his own medicine world muttering out loud.

"She's with the other Amazons. She's assembling them." I got that distinct hint of You Need To Assemble Your Troops.

"Okay, mother."

She began to walk away before turning around. "I'm proud of you, my daughter."

Then she walked away and I breathed a sigh of relief. Hylla was okay.

"Parent problem?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "We all have those. My father's Apollo."

"I guessed." I pointed at my healed arm. "Can I go now?"

"Yeah, you can. I hope to see you around." He winked at me before packing his bag and walking away.

Was he…hitting on me? It seemed unreal, anyone hitting on me, Reyna Arellano. I wanted to go and see Hylla but I grew up to learn legion above all. I ordered the legion that wasn't injured to fall in line and I stood in front of them without my dogs.

I felt incomplete without my dogs. But before I could do anything about it Aurum came running up to me. I understood that Argentum is dead. If we found his body we could fix him. I could ask one of the Vulcan kids to fix him for me. Aurum cooed in my hand before standing on my left side.

Octavian – why was he still alive? – came to me. "Reyna, we need to bury the Romans properly." Was it care in his voice? What changed?

"Yes, I know."

"Some of them are wrapped in burial shrouds. For the heroes whose bodies hasn't been found we're going—"

"To burn a burial shroud." I finished looking at the legion. More than half had died.

"Yes…" Octavian gave a small nod before backing up.

What happened to Octavian? He was blood-thirsty. He wanted to kill the Greeks, somehow. He attacked the Greeks despite my order. Why did he have a change of heart, all of a sudden?

Frank Zhang came up running to me. He changed more since the last time I saw him after the journey to House of Hades. He looked more buff and less sumo wrestler. His chubby face was less chubby.

"Reyna," He almost bowed before realizing he was Praetor.

"I ordered the legion, for now." I gave him a pointed look. "They know you're Praetor. But for now, go join your friends."

He went and joined The Seven who were standing in front of the gods. Grace and Piper Mclean were standing beside the elfish boy who bombed on our camp. Annabeth and Percy had their hands intertwined and Annabeth was talking with Hazel. Frank joined them and Levesque gave a soft kiss on his lips.

They looked like a big family.

I realized I was staring before I whipped my face towards the gods and goddesses

All of the gods and goddesses in there Roman and Greek forms stood before Trivia… Hecate created big thrones for them to seat on. They turned into their 20 feet selves and sat on those thrones. The giants couldn't get any of the Olympians.

"Demigods," Zeus's voice boomed, I believe Jupiter's Greek form is Zeus. "You all have done a great job. For that we will reward you."

I stood there as Poseidon called his son Percy Jackson. Percy kneeled in front of his father.

"Perseus," He gave a small smile to his son. "I have already told you that I am proud of you, son. What would you like?"

"I'd love to go to college with Annabeth." He sent a glance at the blonde who was smirking. "Without any attacks from monsters, of course."

That sounds a lot like a Roman college. Poseidon voiced my thoughts before turning into Neptune. Poseidon suits him more than Neptune.

Annabeth was grinning as was Percy. Poseidon looked at his brother and Minerva or Athena before granting there wishes.

"My son, Leo Valdez," Vulcan stated proudly. Valdez went forward nervously murmuring not to burst him. He bowed to Zeus, Poseidon and Pluto before kneeling in front of his own father. "What would you like?"

"Calypso," He stated. Calypso was a sorceress. She lived in an island called Ogygia after the first Titan war. She sided with the Titans instead of the gods.

"What?" Zeus's voice shouted.

"Calypso, Percy asked you to free her after the Second Titan war. You didn't you're promise. Now all I'm asking is that you free her." Valdez said humbly. Or as humbly as a camp bomber can get.

"We freed her!" Zeus shouted. Thunder bellowed in the clear sky.

"No, you did not!" Leo yelled back. That was a bad move. You don't shout at the Lord of The Skies.

"Calm brother," It took five minutes for all the Olympians to calm Zeus down.

"I landed in Oh-gee-gee-ah," He pronounced it slowly. "She was still trapped."

"Okay, my son," Hephaestus said neutrally. "We'll free her."

Valdez went back and stood beside the Aphrodite child. Mclean was telling him something. All the Seven was assigned a job or they wanted something. Grace wanted to stay at CampHalf-Blood and Annabeth Chase wanted there to be peace in both of the camps. That meant that we got a bunch of new unwanted friends. Though I wouldn't mind the company of Annabeth Chase.

"Reyna Arellano," I heard Zeus call my name. I went forward and bowed in front of him. When I stood up I saw him morphing into Jupiter.

"You still are quite Roman Reyna," He said and I nodded. Yes, I'm Roman. I was born Roman. I am not going to change.

"What would you like, my child?" I heard an ounce of care in his voice or was it just me? I think everyone noticed it, because I saw Percy giving Annabeth a look.

But what would I like? They can't give me what I really want. I want to undo the past. But that's impossible. "I want back Argentum." Surprisingly it wasn't in a shaking voice.

"Argentum?" He asked.

"My dog, if you please My Lord."

"Hephaestus, her dog please," Jupiter pointed to the god of the forges. He nodded and took out the Argentum who was broken.

I looked at Jupiter with a question and he nodded. I went beside Argentum. Hephaestus was doing something with him.

"I gave you these dogs. I can fix them, stop worrying," He whispered. It was meant for only me to hear.

Yes, he gave me Aurum and Argentum. Or his Roman form did. It was after Hylla and I parted. I walked into one of his forges in Seattle. He let me stay there for a week and gave me Aurum and Argentum.

My dog powered up and the first thing he did was growled. Some of the demigods backed up. My face almost twitched up. But then Argentum noticed me and came to my arms. I probably wouldn't hug my dog in front of the gods and the whole legion but it felt good. At least some part of my old life is still intact.

"Thank you Hephae – Vulcan." I noticed he turned into his Vulcan form. He is way more vicious like this. Apparently the Greeks shared my thoughts because some backed up. And some of the Romans were smirking.

I bowed at the feet of al gods Argentum behind me. Aurum was jumping in excitement to see Argentum. Right now, no one would think that these two could tear you apart. For once, I didn't mind. At least they have each other.

Hylla was looking at me. I looked back at her. She was okay. I guess it had something to do with a certain god of Medicine hanging around her. I never knew gods had a thing for Amazons. I eyed at Apollo and she gave a chuckle.

Somehow the time passed pretty fast. The gods went back to repair the damage that has been done. Hylla offered me a place in the Amazons. A chance to rule beside her. I know it's been years since we parted, and a lot has changed. But I couldn't leave CampJupiter. It was the only home I knew. I wouldn't – couldn't – leave it.

We had proper burial and burned burial shrouds. I was thankful to say that my eyes did not water when I burned up Gwen's burial shroud. Dakota, for the first time wasn't drunk. As traditions go the person Gwen was closest to was asked to burn the shroud. I came to a close second. No one knew Gwen like Dakota.

I was sitting under a tree. Next morning we were supposed to start our journey to CampJupiter. And the Greeks were going to CampHalf-Blood.

Annabeth came up to me. "I'm here to officially say sorry on behalf of Leo Valdez blowing up your camp."

"It wasn't that difficult to fix the damage but Octavian's wrath was something to watch. But he hated you guys from the start." Now he doesn't. Maybe I should try talking to him.

She smiled, before sitting beside me. "You know I've told you about my whole life and I still don't know anything about yours."

I started from my father's death. "My father died when I was seven years old and Hylla was nine years old. We didn't join the Foster Home because none of us wanted to be apart." Something that happened anyway. "We got in a cargo ship that ended going inside the Sea of Monsters."

"We washed up on the shores of C.C spa and resort. Circe took us in. I learned that all men were pigs but I never believed it. Hylla believed it easily and she hated you and Percy for a long time. Well before Percy decided to crash the Amazons place."

"You and Percy let us be captured to Blackbeard. Fortunately as daughters of Bellona we learnt to fight fast." But I still had scars. "We escaped and Hylla went to join the Amazons. And I went to CampJupiter. Jason and I killed Atlas. Then we were asked to be Praetors." I left out a lot about our quests together. I wasn't sure if Jason remembered them. For some reason I wanted it to be _our_ memories together. I'm such an idiot.

Somehow I found it easy to talk with Annabeth. I wanted to tell her about Jason and my quests together. But you know why I didn't.

Annabeth was telling me about Percy and her journey to Tartarus. I finally understood the line about 'Foes bear arms to Doors of Death'. I could see how the journey left both of them scarred.

It was late at night when I went to sleep. I would've sat under the tree the whole night but I heard Mclean and Jason sneaking out. I went to the Praetors' Camp. There were two segments of it, one for Praetor Zhang and one for me.

I entered my quarters and looked at the mess. I guess you could say that I spent too much time planning battle with the Athena kids and fighting. There were papers and weapons sprawled all over the desk and bed. And a bowl of jellybeans, I never stopped loving them. I give a small smile as I take a mouthful of them.

Jellybeans have always been my comfort food. I loved them since I was three-year old.

I tried not to think of what Jason and the Aphrodite child was doing. Instead I spent my time with Aurum and Argentum. I left them to guard my quarters. Most of the time they stay with me, but I left them alone together.

I changed into a bit more comfortable clothes and went to sleep. I know demigod dreams can be painful but it was nothing compared to the nightmares I had that night.

I was captured in the same black dungeon in which Blackbeard captured me. But Hylla wasn't with me. Before that moment I didn't realize how much dependant I was on Hylla. Blackbeard was advancing on me but before he could come any closer Blackbeard turned into Venus.

Her face was flawless and she had dark brown hair. She was wearing a sleeveless gown that reached till her mid thighs. She had no scars. I knew I always felt insecure about my scars.

She smiled at me radiantly.

"What are you doing here?" I asked rudely. I know I shouldn't behave rudely with gods or goddesses; they can incinerate me even in my sleep.

"Darling," She made a tsk tsk sound with her mouth. "Is this any way to behave with Love?"

"Love hasn't done me any good." My mouth snarled.

"Maybe you're a true daughter of Bellona after all," Her voice rose into a shriek and suddenly she was not Venus but she was the Hydra I faced on our journey back to CampHalf Blood.

But the only difference was Coach Hedge and Di Angelo wasn't with me, and I had no weapon. It snarled at me and I knew I was dead. I tried to hide behind a tree but all of a sudden it wasn't a tree. It was Jason.

He smiled at me. And I smiled back. The Hydra turned into Piper Mclean. Inwardly I breathed a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't a hundred headed monster that breathed fire.

But Jason and Piper started throwing some fire balls at me. I was always scared of fire ever since I got burned during the Titan War. Jason should know that, shouldn't he?

I could feel as each fire ball hit me with great accuracy and it burned into my skin. I screamed.

And I woke up. My dogs were beside me and I was sweating. Both of them were standing guard in front of me. If automatons could look worried they would've. HI looked at the clock. It had Roman hands which is why I kept it. It read 2:50 am.

That was the first of the many dangerous nightmares I started having.


End file.
